DC: Happy couples dun sell on TV-YR

Star-crossed couples, who meet, marry, mate and then lead separate lives form the nucleus of family soaps on television. Ram and Priya continue to act coy at an age when they should have actually been blessed with teenage kids. Agreed, their marriage was arranged in Bade Achche Lagte Hain, but now it's been months and their "now we are getting closer but still not there" approach is seriously annoying. But that's the game producers play. It's all about TRPs folks! Industry experts will tell that once the hero-heroine live happily ever after, there is no story to tell! So all production houses follow the mantra "picture abhi baki hai mere dost".

That's why viewers have to end months of mindless conflicts — take the case of Parichay Zindagi Ka Safar — Kunal and Siddhi have been married for a while now and have even got intimate in a seductive bedroom sequence. One assumed that they had resolved their marital woes. But that is not the case. Kunal wakes feeling guilty about having got fresh with his dead brother's girlfriend, who happens to be his wife. He decides she doesn't love him and so must sacrifice his emotions. Of course, the couple does not believe in communicating their grievances. They just keep voicing their thoughts in their silly heads.

In Yeh Rishta, which has completed 800 episodes, you would assume now that Naitik and Akshara have become parents, their relationship would have evolved by now. But that's not the case. Akshara sulks because Naitik, who is held up at a business meeting, doesn't find the time to accompany her to the doctor for the baby's check up. Never mind the fact, that she had her mother-in-law for company.

Even in Sanwaare Sabke Sapne Preeto, Rajbeer and Preeto are in love so why the hell can't they get together. Because the saintly Preeto has to sacrifice her love to take care of her family. Or is the love being sacrificed in favour of higher TRPs?

If all was hunky dory in the world of soaps, what would have happen to the TRPs? So couples have to fight, argue, separate, and constantly hold conversations in their own heads instead of speaking to each other to keep the momentum going.

Every show thrives on this concept. In Kuch to Log Kahenga, Dr Ashutosh and Nidhi squabble over something as silly as a hair dye. Nidhi wants Ashutosh to colour his grey sideburns and Ashutosh refuses and fights with her. It's not even been a few weeks since the couple has officially got together and their fights have already begun. Maybe this is just a ploy to bring bored viewers back to the show, as the romance was rather thanda. There is no chemistry between Nidhi and Ashutosh and romance is as clinical as the hospital Ashutosh works in.

So the goal of every producer is to spice up the show, tear well adjusted families apart and wedge the gap between happy couples. It does appear like dysfunctional homes rule the roost or rather the small screen. Kya karen, paapi TRP ka sawaal hai.